Reversible lifeboat



Oct. 8, 1929. GASKIN 7 1,730,363

REVERSIBLE LIFEBOAT Filed July 1 1928 2 Sheets-She a 1&4 v

I I I l Oct. 8, 1929. g s

REVERSIBLE LIF'EBOAT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 11, 1928 V KIM Patented Get. 8, 1929 were THOMAS HERBERT GASKIN, OF W'OODFORD, ENGLAND REVERSIBLE LIFEBOAT Application filed July 11, 1928, Serial No. 291,970, and in Great Britain July 16, 1927.

This invention relates to reversible boats of the general type wherein, in effect, two open boats are so united bottom-to-bottom as to constitute conjointly a single structure capable of floating either way upwards; the structure comprising in its depth two sections which may be regarded respectively as the normally upper or erect section and the normally lower or inverted section, each of which sections when upturned presents an open well for the accommodation of passengers, and means being provided for permitting the es cape of air from within whichever well of the boat happens to be submerged and for draining water from the then erect well.

The object of the present invention is to provide improvements in that particular kind of such boat, known as a twin-deck reversible boat, wherein, as set forth in the specification of my Letters Patent No. 1,241,367, the bottom of each well is constituted by a separate deck, whilst between the respective decks is a space constituting a central buoyancy chamber extending over substantially the area of each well of the boat and of such depth that,

when the boat is afloat, the temporarily upper deck is adapted to remain above the normal surface level of the water outside the boat; both decks being bounded laterally by the inner walls of a pair of buoyancy chambers which extend throughout substantially the entire depth of the boat so as to form in effect hollow sides for the hull.

In the specification of my British Letters Patent No. 193,988 there was'described an im'- proved twin-deck reversible boat of the kind just mentioned, wherein, for the purpose of reducing'resistance to the passage of the boat through the water when floating with the normally inverted section submerged it was proposed to make the downwardly-presented surface of the then lower deck flat throughout 7 the greater part of its length and so inclined at each end as as to afford substantially free passage for the water through the then in verted well from end to end. In the arrangement for this purpose specifically preferred, the normally-lower deck was at each end sloped or curved in the lengthwise direction towards the normally-upper deck. Such a construction,however, whilst affording very. free passage for the water through the in verted well so long as the boat is floating with the normally-erect section uppermost, pre sents certain disadvantages (especially as regards the comfort and convenience of the passengers) when the boat is floating with the normally-inverted section uppermost, and the present invention is directed to overcoming this defect without materially interfering with the already-achieved reduction of resistance to the passage of the boat through the water when the normally inverted section is submerged. For this purpose, according to the present,

invention, the normally lower deck, which ex- 7 tends throughout substantially the entire length of the boat from stem post to stern post and is fiat throughout the greater part of its length, is towards each end gradually;

sloped lengthwise in the direction away from (instead of towards) the normally upper deck; the inner walls of the respective lateral buoyancy chambers in the normally lower section of the boat extending, as before, substantially parallel to one another throughoutthc exposed portion of their length. The normally lower section may have at each side a gunwale constituting a coaming'which projects beyond the depth of the corresponding lateral buoyancy chamber; such coaming, however, extending lengthwise preferably throughout only the length of said buoyancy chamber, so as to avoid offering unnecessary resistance to the passage of the boat through s;

the water when the normally inverted section is submerged. Usually, the lateral buoyancy chambers would terminate at each end near to where their inner walls meet the mutually convergent outer sides of the boat towards the bow and stern, at which points in the length of the boat there may be provided transverse bulkheads serving to separate the respective end spaces within the boat from the remain der of the interior of the hull. In the accompanying drawings, which illustratean example of a twin-deck reversible boat embodying the present invention, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section on a medium vertical plane of the boat; Figure 2 is a cor- 7 responding plan view, the upper half of the figure being in elevation and the lower half in section; Figure 8- is a corresponding inverted plan view, the upper half of the figure being in elevation and the lower half in section; and Figure 4 is a transverse midship section of the boat.

The structure, whereof the stem and stern may be suitably formed as in the example illustrated, comprises a pair of outer side walls ll, 11 extending from end to end of the boat between the stem and stern posts 12 and 13 and converging towards one another at each end; a normally upper deck 14 and a normally lower deck 15 separated from one another by a space 16 constituting a central buoyancy chamber of such depth that the temporarily upper deck is adapted to remain above the normal surface level of the water outside the boat when the latter is afloat; transverse bulkheads 17 and 18 towards the ends, serving to separate the corresponding end spaces 19 and 20 from the remainder of the interior of the boat; closures 21 and 22 for the normally upper sides of said end spaces 19 and 20; a pair of longitudinal seats 23, 23 projecting inwards from the respective outer side walls of the boat in the normally upper section of the boat; a similar pair of longitudinal seats 2 1 in the normally lower section; each seat extending lengthwise between the transverse bulkheads 17 and 18; and a pair of lateral inner walls 25, 25 spaced apart from the respective outer side walls 11, 11 of the boat and extending lengthwise substantially parallel to one another between said transverse bulkheads so as to bound the decks 1st and 15 laterally, said lateral inner walls extending depthwise between'the longitudinal seats 23 and 24 in the respective sections of the boat. That'space at each side of the boat which is bounded by the outer side wall 11, the adjacent lateral inner wall 25, the longitudinal seats 23 and 2 1 in the respective sections of the boat, and the respective transverse bull'- heads 17 and 18, thus constitutes a lateral buoyancy chamber 26, which extends throughout substantially the entire depth of the boat structure.

The two lateral buoyancy chambers 26, 26 and the central buoyancy chamber 16 serve to house a plurality of hermetically-sealed air-tanks, formed of sheet metal, which are shaped to fit the chambers and are adapted to maintain the buoyancy of the boat practically unimpaired in the event of the structure of the boat being so injured as to allow water to gain admittance to the interior. These air tanks are indicated in the drawings in dot and dash lines.

' 27 are vertical tubes connecting together apertures in the respective decks 1 1 and 15 and fitted. with valves of known type adapted on' the one hand to' permit the escape of air from within Whichever well of the boat happens to be submerged, and onthe other hand to permit any water to drain from the then erect well of the boat.

It will be observed from Figure 1 that, in the improved boat of the present invention. the normally lower deck 15 extends lengthwise the entire distance between the stem and stern posts 12 and 13, and, whilst flat throughout the greater part of its length, is gradually sloped at each end lengthwise in the direction away from the normally upper deck 14. By this arrangement, when the boat is afloat with the normally inverted section upturned, any passengers then occupying the upturned well are afforded substantially the same protection against head-on or following waves as is afiorded when the normally erect section is upturned; yet without the freedom of passage for water, lengthwise through the well of the normaily inverted section when the latter is submerged, being materially affected.

The normally upper section of the boat may have a gunwale 28 forming an extension of each outer-side wall 11 and extending throughout the entire length of the boat as shewn; but the corresponding gunwale of the normally inverted section of the boat constitutes a coamin g 29 which extends at each side only throughout the length of the lateral buoyancy chamber 26 so as to avoid obstructing the freedom of passage for water lengthwise through the well of the normally in verted section when the latter is submerged.

30. are thwarts in the normally upper section of the boat, and 31 are similar thwarts in the normally lower section. 32, 32 are hooks fixed towards the ends of the boat for enabling it to be slung with the normally erect section uppermost. Similar hooks (not shown) may be provided in the normally inverted section.

Each well of the boat is provided with a central keel-board 33 or 34: which, although shown in the drawings as extending throughout only about one third the length of the boat, may extend throughout the entire length of each well if deemed desirable.

At the ends of each lateral buoyancy chamber 26, in each section of the boat, the trans verse bulkheads 17, 18 are pierced to allow of any water, which may gain access to the interior of either chamber 26, to pass freely across to the other chamber 26 by way of the end spaces 19, 20 as the boat rolls. F or the same purpose a pipe or pipes such as indicated at 35 and 36 may connect the interiors of the two lateral buoyancy chambers 26, as nearly as possible at the levels of the longitudinal seats 23 and 24, such pipes being preferably placed immediately beneath the thwarts 30 and 81 so as to be protected thereby.

The end spaces 19 and 20 of the boat may be fitted with water-tight cases of metal for containing bread and water, suitable hatches (not shown) affording access to these cases from both wells of the boat. All the usual fittings of a seagoing open boat may be pro vided, but are omitted'from the drawings as being well understood.

1 claim A twin-deck reversible boat of the kind having a normally upturned and a normally inverted section each of which when upturned presents an open well for the accommodation of passengers; the structure as a whole including a pair of outer side walls for the boat extending from end to end thereof and mutually converging towards each end; a normally upper and a normally lower deck separated from one another by a space constituting a central buoyancy chamber; a transverse bulkhead towards each end serving to separate the corresponding end space of the boat from the remainder of the interior thereof; a closure for the normally upper side of each such end space in the normally upper section of the boat; a pair of longitudinal seats projecting inwards from the respective outer side walls of the boat in each section thereof and extending lengthwise from the one transverse bulkhead to the other; a pair of lateral inner walls spaced apart from the respective outer side walls of the boat and extending lengthwise substantially parallel to one another between said transverse bulkheads to bound the re spective decks laterally, said lateral inner walls extending depthwise between said longitudinal seats in the respective sections of the boat, and that space which at each side of the boat is bounded by the outer side wall, the

the adjacent lateral inner wall, the longi-' tudinal seats in the respective sections of the boat, and therespect-ive transverse bulkheads, constituting a lateral buoyancy chamber which extends throughout substantially the entire depth of the boat structure; and means for permitting the escape of air from within the submerged well of the boat and the drainage of water from the then upturned well of the boat; the normally lower deck extending throughout substantially the entire length of the boat and, towards each end, being gradually sloped lengthwise in the direction away from the normally upper deck, substantially as described.

THOMAS HERBERT GASKIN. 

